MARKS ABSENCE STALLS DEFECTION OF SENATORS

The aggrieved senators consisting of Sen. Bukola Saraki, Sen., Magnus Abe, Sen. Danjuma Goje and 8 others wrote to the Senate President David Mark informing him about their decision to defect from the PDP to the APC. On Wednesday during the Senate plenary session neither the Senate President nor the 11 senators made reference to the letter, which is supposed to be read on the floor of the Senate. But during Thursdays Senate plenary, which was presided over by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, he also did not read the letter. He instead said that Mark had informed him about a scheduled meeting on Monday (February 3) with the aggrieved senators when returned from an official trip to Jigawa State.

One of the aggrieved senators, Bukola Saraki, had drawn the attention of the Senate to the letter of defection.

The fellow aggrieved senators insisted the letter be read due to the rule making it mandatory for the Senate President to do, so as the letter of defection will remain null and void until it is read by the Senate President. This caused Senator Danjuma Goje also cited Order 53, to deman the reading of the defection letter. But a mild drama occurred when Saraki told his colleagues that Mark only promised to see him personally after his return from Jigawa. He went on to say “I want to speak on a notice which by a letter was communicated yesterday (Wednesday) to your chair on notification of the change of political party by myself and 10 other senators from the platform of the PDP to the APC.

‘So I felt that it was necessary for me to bring your attention that the letter has not yet been read”

Ekweremadu who had obviously made up his mind, said, “Unfortunately this is my own understanding of your dialogue with him (Mark). I believe that we would stand down any issue relating to that until he comes back.”

Sen. Danjuma Goje who was not going to let the case end raised the point of order again, saying “Yesterday (Wednesday), 10 other senators and I presented a letter to the Senate President formally informing that we have defected from the PDP to the APC. “We thought the letter would have been read yesterday (Wednesday) but it was not and we feel that it should be read today (Thursday). I feel it is our right and privilege that the letter be read. I have defected and 10 other senators have also signed the letter of defection from PDP to the APC.” The APC said this development was a pointer to the fact that the Senate leadership planned to stall the defection. The Interim National Public Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said, “Even though the Deputy Senate President was there, they refused to read the letter. It is one of two things, they are trying to go to court or they are trying to woo these people back. Either way they are going to fail.”